Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image capturing apparatuses capable of having one or more applications installed, control methods for such image capturing apparatuses, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media.
Description of the Related Art
Conventional image capturing apparatuses typically have two standard image capturing apparatus means, namely image capturing and playback, as well as a means for invoking the respective means. Here, the standard image capturing means and playback means refer to an image capturing means and a playback means provided in the image capturing apparatus even when there are no additional applications. The standard image capturing means is typically invoked when the power is turned on, by pressing a switch that instructs an image to be captured, and so on.
Meanwhile, recent years have seen the spread of what are called smartphones, which are communication devices that realize various means by including multiple application programs, in the same manner as computers. A smartphone typically has an application list screen (a home screen) for listing and invoking a variety of applications, as well as a means for invoking the application list screen. Many smartphones also have image capturing means, and such image capturing means are typically invoked from the application list screen as an application. Some smartphones include multiple image capturing applications having different means, and in such a case, the method for invoking the image capturing means often differs depending on the application. Meanwhile, when the user invokes the image capturing means, it is necessary for the user to select which image capturing means to use. However, when capturing an image, selecting the desired image capturing means from among many image capturing means each time is complicated.
To alleviate this complexity, a terminal apparatus that detects an operating mode during operation and invokes an image capturing means based on the operating mode has been proposed in the past (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-296326). In addition, an information processing apparatus that makes it possible to invoke an image capturing means using a single button operation while another application is being used has also been proposed (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-20205).
However, in order to capture an image in the aforementioned conventional smartphones, it has been necessary to select the standard image capturing means from among multiple applications after first changing the screen to the application list screen. Likewise, in order to play back a captured image in a conventional smartphone, it has been necessary to select the standard playback means from among multiple applications after first changing the screen to the application list screen, aside from exceptions such as when invoking a playback screen from an image capturing screen. Not only are such operations complicated for the user, but can also result in the user missing a chance for a good shot when attempting to capture an image. Meanwhile, in conventional smartphones, the operations for invoking the image capturing/playback means differ depending on the application, and it is thus possible that the user will mistakenly invoke an unwanted image capturing means/playback means and will miss a chance for a good shot as a result.
In the case where the image capturing means is selected/invoked in accordance with the current operating mode as in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-296326, it is necessary for the terminal apparatus to update an operating mode list for the image capturing functions when adding an application. Accordingly, it has been difficult to maintain consistency in the operating mode list in the case where applications are provided from multiple sources.
Finally, in the case where the image capturing means is invoked through a single button operation as in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-20205, if the information processing apparatus includes an application having multiple image capturing means, the image capturing means suitable for an active application cannot be invoked. The “active application” refers to an application running in the foreground, or in other words, an application that is displayed at the front of a display device and that is subject to delivery of input events from the user. Furthermore, in the case where the information processing apparatus includes an application having multiple image capturing/playback means, invoking an image capturing/playback means of a given application when another specific image capturing/playback means is running has required multiple procedures, and has thus been complicated.